WRECKED BY ROBOT

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 3, 28 September 1944, Page 4

WRECKED BY ROBOT

Glaxo Factory In England The big Glaxo factory in England, controlled by Glaxo Laboratories, Ltd., a subsidiary company to Joseph Nathan and Co., Ltd., of New Zealand and England, has been wrecked by a robot bomb. The loss i? computed to run into six figures. In the course of a letter to Mr. Charles J. Nathan, manager of Joseph Nathan and Co., Ltd.. Wellington, his brother, Mr. Alec Nathan, says: “On Sunday, August 21, at 11.15 a.m., a doodle bug fell on the Glaxo factory. Since it had to come, it picked the best time and the best day, as only fire watchers were at the factory. Two were hurt, one slightly, and one seriously. Had it happened at the same time on Monday morning the casualties would probably have exceeded 200. In addition it was good that it fell on the food section, mostly storage, stock, and packing, and not oh the chemical manufacturing sections. If it had there would have been a mighty explosion and incalculable harm and damage. It will not interfere with the manufacture of penicillin, but will considerably interfere with the packing of foods, for how long one cannot say till the debris, in places 10 feet high, has been cleared away. . . One can see above the debris some of the food packing machines, but one cannot yet get near them to find out what damage they have suffered; too dangerous, with hanging masonry, bulging wajls, bricks. . . All the Government services—fire, •’electricity, rescue—were splendid. They were on the spot within 20 minutes, and got to work at once. Really their work was excellent; it gives one a feeling of satisfaction and e< mfort. In less than 15 minutes, 15 fire brigades were on the job, and two mobile canteens put in an appearance to feed the workers. “The doodle bug hit the wire of an electric pylon, which caused it to fall on the factory. Had this not happened it might have gone on for another halfmile. and fallen on a large settlement of working people’s homes, more than 1000 of them. At 11.15 a.m. on Sunday most of them would have been in their homes, the housewife cooking the Sunday dinner, so you can imagine the horror and deathrate from which (hey were spared. Since the doodle bug did drop on the factory where it did and when it did, one can only say it might have been worse. Too earlv to say what the claim may be.”